Giuseppe Quintarelli's young Veneto red from Cerè, an equal blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet is lightly dried before a year in Slavonian oak. Fresh cherry, violet and pepper, soft and balanced at 14%.
Drinker consensus on Vivino (4.2 from over 7,000 ratings) and Quintarelli's own notes line up: fresh red cherry and raspberry, a violet lift, tobacco and leather, and a peppery, faintly herbal Cabernet Franc edge.
Quintarelli's Primofiore opens fresh and high-toned: red cherry and raspberry lead, the notes Vivino drinkers reach for most often. Violet lifts the top of the glass, a floral signature the estate's own tasting sheet calls out, while a leafy, faintly herbal edge betrays the Cabernet Franc in the blend. Tobacco and a touch of oak sit behind the fruit, not over it.
Violet
Blackcurrant
Cherry
Raspberry
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
LiquoriceThe partial drying of the Cabernet lends a little flesh, but this is the fresh, early-released Quintarelli rather than the brooding Amarone: medium body, bright acidity and fine, moderate tannin. Red cherry carries through with blackcurrant from the Bordeaux grapes and a peppery, liquorice-edged spine. A year in large Slavonian oak casks at the Cerè cellars frames it without weighing it down.
Savoury and persistent, leaving leather, dried herb and the sapid, slightly spicy echo Italian tasters single out. It stays fresh rather than warming, despite the 14% alcohol.
This is the most affordable way into Giuseppe Quintarelli's cult cellar, and drinkers rate it accordingly at 4.2 on Vivino across more than 7,000 ratings. Drink it over the next few years as a fresh, characterful introduction to the estate, well below the price of its Valpolicella and Amarone.
Quintarelli's tiny production keeps Primofiore hard to find. UK stock we track sits between roughly 64 and 73 pounds across two merchants, with the 2023 the current release.
A quick read on how the estate's young Valpolicella-zone red scores for food-friendliness, value, cellaring and everyday drinking.
Bright acidity and moderate tannin make it a natural with Veneto braises, ragu and aged pecorino, far more food-flexible than a heavyweight Amarone.
The Quintarelli name carries real occasion appeal even on a humble IGT label, making it a talking-point bottle for those in the know.
Soft, fresh and unintimidating in the glass, but the cult-producer price makes it a curiosity buy rather than a first-bottle staple.
At about 65 pounds it is dear for a Veneto IGT, yet it is the cheapest wine in Quintarelli's cult range, so value depends on whether you buy the label or the name.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Veneto denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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We hold three vintages. As a fresh, early-released red Primofiore drinks well young: the 2021 came from a balanced Valpolicella year, while 2022's warm, dry season gave a riper profile.
The current release from a cooler, more challenging Italian vintage. Bright and fresh-styled, best enjoyed young.
A warm, dry growing season gave a riper, slightly fuller Primofiore. Drink over the next few years while its red fruit stays fresh.
A balanced, classic year in the Valpolicella zone. The 2021 shows Primofiore's fresh cherry and fine tannin, ready now and holding to around 2029.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Primofiore wears a humble Veneto IGT label, but the price reflects the Quintarelli name: hillside fruit at Cerè in Negrar, partial drying of the Cabernet, and slow ageing in large Slavonian oak.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Veneto is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Veneto falls within Veneto , covering Veneto.
The estate's reputation, not the IGT class, sets the price. Primofiore sells near 65 pounds while most Veneto IGT reds cost a fraction of that.
Quintarelli farms a small parcel of Valpolicella-zone hillside and releases limited quantities, so demand for even the entry wine outstrips supply.
The Cabernet is dried for a few weeks before fermentation and the wine rests about a year in large Slavonian casks, adding handling and cellar cost most entry reds skip.
Primofiore reaches the UK in small allocations via specialist merchants, with no supermarket volume to spread the cost across.
UK excise duty of 2.67 pounds on a still wine at 14%, plus 20% VAT, account for over 13 pounds of a 65 pound shelf price before the merchant's margin.
As the estate's youngest, earliest-released red, Primofiore is priced well below the Rosso del Bepi, Valpolicella and Amarone above it.
Dishes that complement this wine
With bright acidity and moderate tannin rather than Amarone's weight, Primofiore suits the Veneto's braised and roasted meats, meat ragu and aged pecorino.
Slow braises coat the palate with marrow and fat. Primofiore's bright acidity and fine, moderate tannin cut straight through, refreshing each bite without the heavy weight of an Amarone.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · beef shin stew · More pairings →
Rich, fatty ragu needs acidity and a little grip to stay lively. The wine's red-cherry freshness and Cabernet tannin lift slow-cooked lamb and baked pasta rather than competing with them.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Lasagna · tagliatelle al ragù · More pairings →
The Cabernet Franc gives Primofiore a leafy, peppery lift. That aromatic echoes rosemary, black pepper and grilled-herb crusts, bridging the wine to seasoned roast and grilled red meat.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · herb-roasted lamb · peppered beef · More pairings →
Hard, salty sheep's cheese can flatten a delicate red. Primofiore's savoury red fruit and gentle spice stand up to it, the acidity balancing the salt and the fat.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged pecorino · cured salumi · More pairings →
Tomato brings its own acidity that swamps low-acid reds. Primofiore matches it, and its medium body sits comfortably alongside baked, cheese-topped pasta without overpowering it.
Try with: Lasagna · baked rigatoni · pasta al forno · More pairings →
At 14% alcohol with real tannin, Primofiore amplifies capsaicin heat and turns hard and bitter against chilli. Its violet and herbal aromatics get flattened, so keep it away from fiery cooking.
Skip with: vindaloo · spicy Sichuan · sweet-and-sour pork · Pairing guide →
Primofiore is built for early pleasure, not the decade-long hold of Quintarelli's Amarone. Drink it within about five years of the vintage while its cherry fruit stays fresh.
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
Built fresh for early drinking with only about a year in cask. Enjoy within roughly five years rather than laying it down like the estate's Amarone.
£64.59 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:05 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is the entry-level young red from Giuseppe Quintarelli in the Valpolicella zone, an equal blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is released fresher and earlier than the estate's Valpolicella and Amarone.
Roughly equal parts Corvina, Corvinone, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, about 25% each. The two Cabernet grapes are lightly dried before fermentation.
The Cabernet grapes are partially dried for a few weeks, then all four varieties are pressed and fermented, and the wine ages about a year in large Slavonian oak casks at the family cellars at Cerè in Negrar.
Fresh red cherry and raspberry with violet, tobacco, leather and a peppery, faintly herbal edge from the Cabernet Franc. It is soft and balanced at 14% alcohol, much lighter than the estate's Amarone.
Braised beef and veal such as brasato and ossobuco, lamb and meat ragu, and aged pecorino. Its bright acidity and moderate tannin suit Northern Italian meat cooking.
It is the most affordable way into Quintarelli's cult range. At around 65 pounds it costs far less than the estate's Amarone while sharing the same hillside fruit and slow cellar ageing.
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